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HIgh Fiber bread

HIgh Fiber bread

I am looking for a high fiber wheat bread recipe I can make by hand. I have tried making high fiber bread in the bread machine, it comes out like a deflated brick. I like working by hand and was wondering if anyone has a recipe that would make not only a good tasting high fiber bread, but one that rises and isn't flat.

Place the bread flour, water, and instant yeast in the bowl of a mixer and mix with a dough hook attachment for about 3 minnutes. The biga will feel tight and rubbery after it has been mixed; do not add any additional water. Place the biga in a froofing conteriner coated with nonstick cooking spray, cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and allow to sit out at room temperature for 1to2 hours. It should double in size. The biga is now ready to use but its flavor will improve if refrigerated overnight and used the next day. To hold the biga overnight, gently degas by pressing down on it with your hands, cover it and place it in the refrigerator overnight.

MIXINGPlace the whole wheat flour, water, honey, instant yeast, salt and biga into a 5 L stand mixer bowl. Using a dough hook attachment, mix the ingredients on low speed for approximately 4 minutes. Increas mixing speed to medium and mix for an additional 2 minutes.

FERMENTATIONPlace he dough in a proofing container coated with nonstick cooking spray and check the temperature with a digital thermometer probe; the ideal temperature is 75-78 deg. cover with plastic wrap or lid and alllow to rest for 45 minutes.

STRETCH AND FOLDS/DEGASSINGAfter the dough has rested for 45 minutes, give the dough one stretch and fold and let rest again for 45 minutes.

DIVIDINGDivide dough in half ( two 730 g pieces)

PRESHAPING/SHAPINGOn a lightley floured surface, shape into a loaf and place immediately into a baking loaf pan coated ith nonstick cooking spray.

FINAL PROOF/PANNINGCover the loaves with a sheet of plastic and let them proof for 1-1 1/2 hours at room temp. To check if they are done proofing, press gently into the dough with your fingers; the dough should recover slowley to almost the origianl size, but a slight indentation will be present.

BAKING

Place the loaves in the oven.

Bake for 20 minutes at 450F. Keeping the loaves in the oven, adjust the oven temperature to 380F and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or inside temperature is at 205F. The loaves will be in the oven for a total of 40-50 minutes. cover with foil if the loaves get too dark too quickly.

Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain book has a bread named Oat Bran Broom, I'll leave why to the imagination. Suffice to say it has a good bit of flax seeds and oat bran in the soaker to add a good bit of extra fiber.

You might want to try one of the many "multigrain" loaves floating around. I routinely make Whole-Wheat Multigrain loaf from the book "Bread" (Hamelman), increasing the fibre by my choice of grains in the soaker. In fact, I've even had some success adding a soaker of various grains and seeds to a regular wheat loaf (made with starter or poolish).

In the Hamelman recipe, it calls for 5.8 oz grains soaked in 6.9 oz water (I use just boiled water). To up the fibre content, I usually construct a soaker with:

- multigrain rolled cereal (like rolled oats but with many cereals)

- wheat germ

- coarsely ground cornmeal (optional)

- seeds, such as sunflower and flax.

Occassionally, I've even thrown in some leftover steamed brown rice with good effect.

Using a soaker is great, IMO, because you can amp up the flavor and the fibre with a lot of flexibility.

Thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions. I am going to try them out starting today. They all sound great. I thought I knew how to bake bread until I discovered this site. Wow, all of you are so knowledgeable. I am now reading rapidly to catch up. I have been baking bread for years, but not with the knowledge of everyone on this site. Thanks everyone! Now for what is probably a beginner question. How can I make the outside of my sourdough loaf soft. I have tried water. Any suggestions?

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